2022 - 2023 Squad

I’d not heard of him, can’t lie! Probably more attainable. Though why not aim high first, work our way down

 

Squad is beginning to take shape now. If we line up after the window with this, then we are looking very good for the championship.

(Playing a back 4)

Bachmann

Gaspar, Sierralta, Clarke/Greaves/Hause, Kamara

Choudhury Louza O’Hare*

Sarr Davis Pedro

(Playing a back 3/5)

Bachmann

Gaspar/Kaba, Sierralta, Clarke/Greaves/Hause

Drameh/Norton-Cuffy Choudhury Louza, Pedro, Kamara

Sarr Davis

* Someone like him

 

I thought we looked pretty compact with a back 4 last night. I know 352 is Rob's preferred formation but in the absence of a proper RWB signing I can't see how we can play it. I think 433 will also suit Sarr more if he stays.

 

Updated with all recent activity.

Non-Home Grown (Rule of Eleven) (currently 14 ) Home Grown (currently 16) Total - 30

Maduka Okoye GK
Daniel Bachmann GK
Ben Hamer GK

Mario Gaspar RWB
Jeremy Ngakia RWB
Joseph Hungbo RWB

Hassane Kamara LWB
Ken Sema LWB
James Morris LWB

Cristian Kabasele CB
Francisco Sierralta CB
Craig Cathcart CB
William Troost-Ekong CB
Mattie Pollock CB

Edo Kayembe MF
Imran Louza MF
Yaser Asprilla MF
Hamza Choudhury MF
Tom Dele-Bashiru MF
Dan Gosling MF
Tom Cleverley MF
Domingos Quina MF

Vakoun Bayo FW
Rey Manaj FW
Joao Pedro FW
Samuel Kalu FW
Ismaila Sarr FW
Keinan Davis FW
Kwadwo Baah FW
Ashley Fletcher FW

Don’t think I’ve missed anyone in or out? Non HG been cut quite significantly now.

 

Baah has also gone out on loan.

 

Ahh yes! I’ll wait until the next move happens so not to spam the thread too much. Looks like Fletcher could be going out

 

Fletchers gone already

 

Oh blimey, I’m going to have to learn to navigate the official site a little more thoroughly (in my defence, I’ve been away this weekend at a wedding and only just caught up with my sleep!)

 

Updated with my lazy missed off the list outgoings!

Non-Home Grown (Rule of Eleven) (currently 14 ) Home Grown (currently 14) Total - 28

Maduka Okoye GK
Daniel Bachmann GK
Ben Hamer GK

Mario Gaspar RWB
Jeremy Ngakia RWB
Joseph Hungbo RWB

Hassane Kamara LWB
Ken Sema LWB
James Morris LWB

Cristian Kabasele CB
Francisco Sierralta CB
Craig Cathcart CB
William Troost-Ekong CB
Mattie Pollock CB

Edo Kayembe MF
Imran Louza MF
Yaser Asprilla MF
Hamza Choudhury MF
Tom Dele-Bashiru MF
Dan Gosling MF
Tom Cleverley MF
Domingos Quina MF

Vakoun Bayo FW
Rey Manaj FW
Joao Pedro FW
Samuel Kalu FW
Ismaila Sarr FW
Keinan Davis FW

 

With 4 players under 21 therefore not counting towards the 25 man squad means still could add another one and no one miss out

those 4 being Pedro, Morris, Asprilla and Pollock

 

I think the lack of noise about a RWB being signed and the fact we signed Gaspar infers we might be playing 433, which allows us to play 3 up top without undermanning the midfied

 

So with Quina out the door we need
LCB
RWB (although looks like Gaspar is that signing)
2 x CM

All of these need to be HG to meet the much touted rule of 11 requirements. Or have I missed something on the U21 players?

 

Still plenty of work to be done, to balance the squad out.

 

Oh he most certainly does https://twitter.com/thezomgee2/status/1559225371886747648?s=20&t=wWChVXe7DcFQsGOEqwNqkw

 

So, as a minimum, we very, very clearly need:

- A proper RWB. Gaspar isn't one and the alternative of wasting Kamara there is laughable. Insane it's still happening.

- At least one centre back so that we finally have that balance on the left hand side that Edwards has been talking about for about two months.

- Two CM's. Quina now gone, TDB injured, Cleverley and Gosling old and awful, Kayembe painfully average, Louza still out.

- A striker. Bayo and Manaj are both pathetic and should be nothing but back up, and Davis is currently unfit and hasn't proven himself a real goalscorer.

We are miles off a promotion winning side right now, regardless of the league position after five games in which we have had Sarr, Pedro and even Dennis for the first couple, all of which are about to be gone.

 

I predict we'll get a centre back on loan but he'll be right footed and no better than what we have. We'll then make a failed late attempt for Archer despite Gerrard saying he's staying at Villa, so we'll go with Davis, Manaj and Bayo. Ngakia will also leave on deadline day ensuring that Gaspar is left as the only RWB in the squad. As he looks like he can't play twice in a week Kamara will have to fill in on the right every other game.

 

Pin this post as it's painfully accurate to what will end up happening

 

So depressing tonight after initial hope that with RE and the talk of backing the manager that we are where we are tonight.

I started the season feeling dubious. After a couple of games I became hopeful. This evening I'm just depressed that I feel we've learn nothing, the talk from the club is all BS and this season is going to be a harsh awakening.

 

If we keep JP and sign a goalscorer, I don't see how that isn't overkill in the forward positions. Bayo to be loaned out this season. I'm calling it now.

 

If we go to 4-3-3:

 

With the window now slammed shut here’s what I think our best 11 is in various formations. Whatever way you look at it, the starting 11 when fully fit in all the formations below is arguably the strongest in the league. Could it of/have been made stronger, definitely. That’s the annoying thing, had we signed 1/2 more players in areas we needed, I honestly think that we would walk the league. It’s all down to Rob to coach them in a way that brings the best out in them and create a strong team work ethic. Need our backroom staff doing everything they can to keep the below players fit and healthy for most of the season. The below starting 11’s if played for 35-40 games, we will go up.

(343)
Bachmann
Kaba Sierralta Hause
Ngakia Choudhury Louza Kamara
Sarr Davis Pedro

(3412)
Bachmann
Kaba Sierralta Hause
Ngakia Choudhury Louza Kamara
Pedro
Sarr Davis

(352)
Bachmann
Kaba Sierralta Hause
Ngakia Choudhury Pedro Louza Kamara
Sarr Davis

(4231)
Bachmann
Ngakia Sierralta Hause Kamara
Choudhury Louza
Sarr Pedro Sema
Davis

(4213)
Bachmann
Ngakia Sierralta Hause Kamara
Choudhury Louza
Pedro
Sarr Davis Sema

(433)
Bachmann
Ngakia Sierralta Hause Kamara
Choudhury Asprilla Louza
Sarr Davis Pedro

(4312)
Bachmann
Ngakia Sierralta Hause Kamara
Choudhury Asprilla Louza
Pedro
Sarr Davis

 

I think the final squad list had to be submitted the day after the window closed. Have I missed it or did we not bother releasing it?

 

Found it.

 

HG:
Bachmann (‘24), Cathcart (‘23), Choudhury (loan), Cleverley (‘23), Davis (loan), Dele-Bashiru (‘25), Gosling (‘23), Hamer (‘24), Hause (loan), Hungbo (‘24), Ngakia (‘25), Troost-Ekong (‘25)
[12]

Overseas:
Bacuna (‘23), Bayo (‘27), Gaspar (‘24), Kabasele (‘24), Kalu (‘25), Kamara (loan), Kayembe (‘26), Louza (‘28), Manaj (‘25), Martins* (loan), Okoye (‘27), Sarr (‘24), Sema (‘25), Sierralta (‘27)
[14]

Total squad size is 26 - though Gosling may be omitted if he’s out for the season. That would mean all 25 available slots filled.

Non-HG U21 - Players born on/after 01.01.01, who haven’t played 3 years in England/Wales. E.g.:
Angelini (‘23+1), Asprilla (?), Koné (‘27)
[3]

Total non-HG players - 17. Only 11 are allowed in a matchday squad.


HG U21 - Players born on/after 01.01.01, with at least 3 years in England/Wales, eg:
João Pedro (‘28), Morris (‘24 +1), Pollock (‘26)

*Is young enough to qualify as U21, but if he’s on loan then he’s required to be submitted in our squad, taking up one of the 25 places.

 

Fully expect him to be lining up for Udinese come the summer, but does anyone actually know if Martins is a loan signing or a perm? Could have serious knock-on effects on our plans for Sarr

 

Thought Pedro became homegrown as from January.

 

Yes, noticed that and updated it (probably while you were typing!)

 

You only had to wait 3 weeks for an answer! Actually not bad by Watford’s standards. I still don’t know whether Kucka was loan or permanent.

 

Jesus f*cking christ, look at the state of that.

 

A neat summary of 4 years of Pozzo decision making.

 

The full back situation is laughable, as every fan pointed out in the summer. We've stockpiled absolute dross at centre back and in midfield. The winger and striker situation is vomit inducing, just look at the money we've spunked on Sarr, Kalu and Bayo. For ten years we've heard that Pozzo is a football man, he knows the game, player trading is his specialty blah blah blah. Well he certainly does a lot of player trading but unfortunately he brings in absolute crap, extends the contracts of absolute crap and we're now left with a huge steaming pile of absolute crap on the pitch.

 

Saw somewhere that the squad had to submitted by 3pm UK time. So hopefully today we will find out the squad.